


Fated Meeting

by Starfydusty



Category: Lamento -BEYOND THE VOID-
Genre: F/F, Lamento Secret Santa 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-08 21:09:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5513396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starfydusty/pseuds/Starfydusty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On her way home from an evening call, Mana finds two fighting cats blocking her path, and she can't resist the urge to get involved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fated Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas, everyone! This is not only my first work posted here, but also my gift for the Lamento Secret Santa. Sorry if it seemed a bit rushed, I wrote this in, quite literally, three hours.
> 
> Merry Christmas, Mangopops! I hope you enjoy!

She'd just been trying to get home. That's all she wanted to do.

Mana's boss had sent her out to a client's house in the evening without anyone to escort her, despite the incredible amount of danger that would put her in. Going out in the middle of the day was risky enough, and going out after dark was even more dangerous! Was this guy trying to run a business or ruin one?  
Nevertheless, Mana had been able to get to the client and do her job. The cloak she concealed herself with slowed her walking speed drastically, but she hadn't been attacked. She hadn't even been yelled at. A pleasant surprise.

However, on the way home, something did stop her. It wasn't her cloak getting caught up in her feet, or anyone attacking her, so to speak. It happened when she turned down a narrow street.  
A loud, metallic CLANG had caught Mana's attention as she turned down a narrow street. The next things she heard were footsteps, and another clash of metal. The lantern behind her wasn't doing a very good job of illuminating the scene in front of her, but it was clear that there were cats fighting in the alleyway.  
Great. Now, Mana would have to find another way back to the brothel. It would prolong her trip by several minutes, putting her in greater danger. The longer she stayed out here, the higher the chance she might get caught.

She let out an exasperated sigh, and lashed her tail as she turned around. Couldn't they have settled their qualms elsewhere?  
As Mana took a step away from the alley, another sound caught her attention. It wasn't another clang, or more footsteps. No, it was a grunt, like someone had been hit. It should've been normal, given the situation, but Mana couldn't walk away after hearing it.

It had been a higher-pitched voice. Not like a kid's, but like a woman's voice.  
Mana quickly spun around after realizing that. Was the other woman being attacked? Mana had nothing to fight with, save for her nails, but she still had the odd desire to protect the other girl. That very well could've been her, after all.

And then the fighting cats finally leapt into view from the shadows, giving Mana a good look at the fighting cats.  
She'd been right about a female being involved. Her appearance striking. Bright, white fur contrasted with her darker skin. Her outfit was made up of darker colors, too. Forest greens and shiny, black leather mixed beautifly, and probably made for good camouflage out in the woods. Just below the end of her shorts was a tattoo with a design that made Mana think of black snakes coiled around each other.

The woman looked like she was a skilled fighter, too. She wore contraptions around her hands that extended claw-like blades that were clearly weapons. And even though it looked like she'd been knocked back, she still stood strong, and moved nimbly. Mana couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight.

The other cat was barely visible, even in the light. The only thing Mana could see were their eyes. The rest of their face was hidden by a mask, and their body was concealed by dark clothes.  
Either they hadn't noticed her standing there, or they didn't care, because neither of the two cats appeared to take notice of Mana and they went straight back to fighting.

This was none of her business, and she shouldn't have stuck around, but Mana couldn't stop thinking about that other woman. In a world where their roles were almost literally restricted to being prostitutes or producing more offspring, it was reasonable for her to be curious about a woman who didn't appear to be either, right? She wanted to know who she was, where she'd come from, and what her job was. Maybe, if she stuck around, she could figure that out.

It seemed like the outcome wasn't going to be favorable, though. The robed cat managed to land a blow on the other cat, and a few droplets of blood flew out from the resulting gash. Mana swore one must've landed on her cloak.

From there, it looked like the battle was downhill. The female cat lost some of her speed and balance favoring her other leg, and it was much, much easier for the robed cat to hit her. And unfortunately, they did.  
Mana's heart felt like it was being crushed as she watched the other cat gain the upper hand. She didn't know why she cared for this stranger so much. Why the odd urge to protect her rose up. Why it felt like Ransen would crumble to the ground if she lost.

Mana wanted to fight, but she couldn't. She had no weapons, no experience, and she wasn't terribly strong, either. But still, the overwhelming urge to do something was taking over her thoughts. Every fiber in her body was compelled to launch her forward into the heat of battle. She wanted to do something, anything...!

And then a white light shot forward, leaving a blazing trail behind it. A pleasing sound, like a harp being plucked, reached Mana's ears as the battle in front of her halted. The two cats finally seemed to take notice of her, but not for more than a second, as the light wrapped itself around the female cat.

This was the work of a Touga. Nobody could mistake the characteristic "song" that came along with the light, but where had it come from? Nobody had run onto the scene, and the female cat didn't have a partner with her so where-

Wait. It was coming from her.

The female cat seemed to be just as confused as she was. They had no connection, they had never met before- hell, they hadn't even passed each other on the street! If Mana weren't so shocked at the fact she was producing a Sanga's song, she might feel a bit embarassed. This was kind of intrusive, wasn't it?

Regardless, after the brief moment of confusion, the female cat leaped back into battle. Her injuries were still blatantly present, but she moved as if they weren't there. Actually, she moved even faster than before. The robed cat was quickly pushed back, overwhelmed by the sudden surge of energy. Their movements became sporadic, missing even when they had a clear shot.  
The female cat struck, knocking the other cat off-balance.

She struck again, sending them to the ground.

And finally, she ended the battle with a lethal swipe of her claws against the robed cat's neck. The cat twitched, and then went limp, dying almost instantly.  
The light died down, and so did the "song" coming from Mana. She fell to her knees, feeling like she'd run across Ransen. Almost immediately, the female cat turned to look at her, but said nothing. They were both clearly at a loss for words, and an awkward silence brewed between them. Even when the robed cat's body turned to dust behind the female cat, neither said a word for a minute or so.

And then, finally, the female cat broke the silence.

"Was that you?" She asked. A stupid question, given then fact that she clearly saw Mana "singing," but it was better than not talking.

"Yeah, uh...it was me. I think." Mana answered, stammering.

"You think?" The other cat gave her a questioning look.

"Well, I've never done that before."

"That was a Sanga's song." The other cat took a few steps closer to Mana.

"I know."

"Then, why'd you waste it on me? You don't know me." Now that she was closer, Mana could see a cold look upon the other cat's face. Sheesh, she probably jsut saved her life. A "thank you" would've been nice.

"I didn't really choose to use it on you." Mana snapped back "I just wanted to help."

The other cat paused, and then looked down. "Well...thanks."

Her thanks was awkward, like she wasn't used to expressing herself to random strangers. It was clear from her body language that she was slightly uncomfortable, too.

"You're welcome." Mana replied. "What was with that other cat, anyways?"

"I'm not sure." The other cat peered back at the now-empty robes. "I hope they don't come back, though. They really caused me trouble."

"Trouble?" Mana inquired.

"It's nothing worth worrying about. Thank you for your help." The other cat withdrew her claws and extended a hand to help Mana up.

There was nother akward pause, even after Mana gave a "you're welcome" in return. They could've parted ways there, but it didn't look like the other cat was ready to leave, yet.

"Uh," Mana blurted out "if it's not too much trouble, could I get your name?"

"It's Kagari." The other cat, Kagari, replied.

"Kagari..." Mana repeated to herself, almost smiling. "Thanks. My name's Mana."

"What were you doing out here, anyways? It's dangerous to go out at night, isn't it?" Kagari asked. She was still stuck on Mana's sudden appearance, it seemed.

"I could ask you the same thing! I was walking back home from a job across the city." Mana responded, wrapping her cloak back around her body. "I should probably get back, anyways. My boss is probably worried."

"Wait, how far from here do you have to walk?" Kagari suddenly asked. The question caught Mana off-guard.

"A few blocks, probably? It's not all that far. Why?"

"Let me walk you there." Kagari strode over to Mana's side. "You saved me, so take it as thanks."

Mana couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. She'd definitely get her chance to know more about Kagari.


End file.
